Charles Keeping

Charles William James Keeping (22 September 1924 - 16 May 1988) was a British illustrator, children's book author and lithographer. He was best known as an important and influential modern book illustrator.

Related Topics:
22 September - 1924 - 16 May - 1988 - Illustrator - Children's book - Lithographer

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Keeping first came to prominence with his illustrations for Rosemary Sutcliff's historical novels for children, and he created more than twenty picture books. He won the Kate Greenaway Medal for outstanding work in children's illustration twice: for Charley, Charlotte and the Golden Canary in 1967, and for an illustrated edition of Alfred Noyes's poem The Highwayman in 1981. He illustrated The God Beneath the Sea, by Leon Garfield and Edward Blishen, which won the Carnegie Medal for children's literature in 1970. He also illustrated the complete works of Charles Dickens for the Folio Society.

Related Topics:
Rosemary Sutcliff - Historical novel - Picture book - Kate Greenaway Medal - 1967 - Alfred Noyes - The Highwayman - 1981 - Leon Garfield - Edward Blishen - Carnegie Medal - 1970 - Charles Dickens - Folio Society

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His biographer has commented,

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: His formidable originality within the picture-book convention may not have been altogether apparent to Keeping himself, which is both a strength and a weakness: the strength that he could communicate with unrivalled emotional intensity - but possibly only with one child in twenty; the concomitant weakness is that there was not a lot he could do to broaden this minority appeal and ensure that his books remained in print over longer periods.

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:Douglas Martin (1993), Charles Keeping: an illustrator's life

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His lithographs have been exhibited in London, Italy, Austria and the U.S.A., including at the International Exhibition of Lithography in Cincinnati in 1958. He has prints in many collections, including at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Related Topics:
London - Italy - Austria - U.S.A. - International Exhibition of Lithography - Cincinnati - 1958 - Victoria and Albert Museum

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